best android app development company

Why Indian Gaming Industry Needs Central Regulatory Framework?

  • November 4th, 2022
  • Software Development

The domestic gaming market in India is estimated to exceed $2 billion by 2023, with over 400 million Indian gamers. Multiple unicorns have already emerged in the category of a mobile app development company in India, including Dream11, MPL, and Games24x7.

Prime Minister Modi has backed India's gaming sector as a potential leader, emphasizing its socioeconomic and cultural relevance in today's globalized and digital economy. The Indian gaming sector lags well behind global titans Microsoft, Sony, Tencent, and Nintendo. They had a total revenue of $90 billion in FY21.

India is exceptionally positioned to establish global leadership in the mobile gaming business. For quarters, a committee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's top officials has been documenting regulations for the country's online gaming sector.

This includes foreign investors like Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital. They have backed gaming start-ups Dream11 and Mobile Premier League, both hugely popular for fantasy cricket.

The federal government is investigating the necessity for a centralized regulatory framework to bring about standardization in the online gambling business. According to the study, policymakers have launched consultations and talks for such a framework.

The regulator would have the authority to shut down unlicensed gambling platforms. To safeguard lesser participants, the operators would allegedly be required to get know-your-customer (KYC) verification.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, a report by the inter-ministerial panel on online gaming has renewed calls for a centralized framework. More than state-level regulations may be needed to address the issues posed by online gaming, and divergence in regulatory requirements would further exacerbate the situation.

India's Existing Legislative Situation

Currently, no central-level law in India governs the internet gaming business. When the Indian Constitution was adopted, gaming and betting were notably included in Entry 34 of the State List.

This granted state legislatures exclusive rights to create legislation on gambling and betting. As a result, each state has developed its gaming legislation.

However, most states' gambling laws have not been amended to incorporate internet gambling games developed with php framework for web development. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 was one of India's earliest laws regulating gambling games.

It outlawed all gambling establishments and held anybody accountable for controlling, owning, or managing them. The Act not only exempted skill games but also excluded internet gambling from its scope.

Does India Require Regulatory Framework?

In July, the Group of Ministers resolved to raise the GST rate for such sites from 18% to 28%. However, it was ruled that "gambling" would not include internet gaming.

Currently, betting and gambling are listed as states under the Indian Constitution. While some governments, including Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, have banned gaming and online gambling, others, such as Meghalaya, Sikkim, and Nagaland, have made it obligatory for gaming platforms to get licenses.

However, a broader national regulatory framework still needs to be discovered in India. Experts believe that because nations cannot prohibit access to overseas gambling websites, this issue can only be effectively addressed through a centralized system.

Because of the seriousness of the issue, the executive declined to be identified. According to 2020 research by the Indian trade association FICCI and a quality assurance software testing company, transaction-based gambling, including real money, generated 71%, or $46 billion, of the $65 billion ($817 million) earned by online gaming businesses.

What Action Is Being Taken?

The Online Gaming (Regulation) Bill 2022 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in April of this year to establish an online gaming commission. The Centre has organized two task teams, one hiring the best android app development company to develop the legislative framework for regulating the sector and the other to promote the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) industry.

Last updated November 4th, 2022

Chat Box